Aborichthys kempi
Aborichthys kempi is a tropical freshwater fish of the loach family. In nature, it lives in water bodies of Burma and India. The fish can be found in clean, oxygenated, fast-flowing mountain rivers with rocky banks and rocky bottoms. These fish are very rarely found in aquarists' collections.
Aborichthys kempi has an elongated body, slightly flattened on the sides. The coloration is grayish, sometimes gray-pink or pale pink. On the sides of the body there are 18 to 21 transverse bands, mostly dark brown, which branch off just below the dorsal line or split into 2 bands. The lateral line is partially present. There are two pairs of antennae on the upper jaw and one pair of antennae on the lower jaw. The mouth is lower. The fins are grayish or pale yellowish-transparent. The dorsal fin has dark dots or dashes. The tail fin is rounded and has two black concentric lines on the outer edge and a black spot on the upper end of the base of the tail fin. Females are fuller than males. The maximum size of fish reaches 8 cm. The fish are nocturnal.
In an aquarium environment, you should try to recreate the natural habitat of the fish. The substrate used is a mixture of sand and gravel of different sizes. At the bottom to place numerous stones. These fish love to burrow into the ground, so you need all the decorations in the aquarium is well fixed. The perimeter of the aquarium should be planted Javanese fern and Anubias barteri var. nana Bonsai. Also need to take care of a free place to swim.
Keep Aborichthys kempi recommended a group of 8-10 individuals in an aquarium of 150 liters. Possible content in a common aquarium with other peace-loving fish, preferably occupying the upper and middle layers of water.
Water parameters: temperature 21-26° C, hardness dH 5-12°, acidity pH 6,5-7,5. These fish are very sensitive to water quality, so an effective filtration system, aeration and weekly replacement of 1/3 of the aquarium water with fresh. The aquarium needs to create a strong water flow using, for example, an aquarium pump.
In nature, fish eat small insects, worms, crustaceans and other zooplankton. The menu of fish in an aquarium consists of high-quality pelleted and flaked food, artemia, shrimp, frozen bloodworms, etc. The food is given once a day before lights out in the aquarium.
Reproduction
We currently have no information on successful breeding of Aborichthys kempi under aquarium conditions.
The lifespan of Aborichthys kempi is currently unknown.
